6 Tips to Hosting the Perfect Dinner Party

If you’ve ever hosted a dinner party, then you’ll know how stressful the whole experience can be. It’s basically all the anxiety that comes with hosting a normal party with the added task of cooking a brilliant three course meal for everybody thrown on top.

Despite all this, dinner parties are growing in popularity. They remain a great way to catch up with friends, socialize and above all else, have a really good time while showing off your hosting skills.

So how do you go about hosting the perfect dinner party? Here are six tips to get you started

Control the food

Your guests will probably ask if they should bring any food with them. This is a big no. If they are turning up with additional items, even desserts or after dinner cheese, it is actually creating more work for you, not less. It might not even accompany what you’ve lovingly cooked either. If they have to bring something, then tell them a bottle of wine would be appreciated.

Do the shop the day before

Benjamin Franklin once said that “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” He probably wasn’t referring to a dinner party when he came out with that, but he might as well have been. Get the food and drink you need at least one day before. That way you know you’ve got everything and it means no panic when nowhere has that one last ingredient you need hours before you are due to sit down.

Set your house up

Make sure there are nibbles and drinks available for when your guests arrive by setting up your house accordingly. High-end snacks on one table and fine wines and glasses with one bottle already uncorked on another. That will keep the entertained until the food comes out.

Keep the menu simple

Keeping the menu simple is a must for many reasons. You want something that can pretty much cook itself without constant care and attention as once your guests arrive, you should be entertaining them, not slaving away in the kitchen. Selecting one of these easy dinner party recipes will allow you to do that. It will also help when it comes to the next point…

Give yourself enough time to get ready

You aren’t just the chef, but the host as well. Cooking simple dishes that will look after themselves will give you the time and space you need to get yourself ready. Again though, this comes down to preparation. Pick an outfit the day before so you can just slip into it and make sure you’ve got all those hair and make up accessories ready to go. The last thing you want is to be rushing around a few hours before you are due to sit down trying to find fake eyelashes – especially if you end up panic buying ones that leave swollen eyelids. Read Story here about how that happened to one woman.

Have a smooth transition from dinner to party

Once you’ve finished devouring the dinner, sit at the table for a while longer to allow the conversation to flow. When a couple of bottles of wine have been polished off, suggest a move into the living room where board games and pre-made cocktails will get the real party started. Once your guests have gone home happily fed, watered and entertained, head straight to bed – the cleaning of the house and the dishes can wait until morning and will feel much less arduous in the glow of having hosted a successful dinner party.